Social Media Airport: Case Study From CRW

The president added pressure, but it was pizza that put the airport to the test.

Yeager Airport in Charleston, W.Va., used social media connections to warn passengers that the arrival of Air Force One would mean delays. President Obama, Vice President Biden and other dignitaries attended the funeral of Senator Robert C. Byrd on Friday. That meant some unusual traffic at the airport, which says it has seven airlines offering nonstop service to nine major cities, from Houston to New York.

On Thursday, a question on the airport’s Facebook page asked, “What time are they shutting down the road to the airport?”

Yeager Airport’s answer (about an hour later): "We have no way of knowing exactly when. This is why were asking everyone to plan on being at CRW 2 hours before their flight if they're flying between 8 and 5."

On Friday, there were more specific warnings for the airport's 2,262 fans: a photo album, strong interactions with Facebook users, and in the middle of the afternoon, an all clear: “CRW is now back to normal operations. Air Force One and Two have departed.”

The airport’s Twitter feed, @YeagerAirport, took note, too, and even retweeted a message from @BarackObama honoring Senator Byrd.

Then customer service was really put to the test. One of the most respected White House reporters, Mark Knoller, from CBS Radio, was flying back to Washington on a commercial flight. He made it through security and looked around for a place to eat. There was none. Knoller, a prolific writer and Twitter user filed minute-by-minute bulletins: